Jesus Believes in Prayer (Elder Yunana Malo) 17-01-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja

17th January, 2016 

 

☆ SERMON

* Speaker: Elder Yunana Malo

* Topic: Jesus Believes in Prayer

* Theme: Imitating Christ

* Sub-Theme: Imitating Christ in Prayer

* Service Leader: Elder Simon Bunshak

* Text: Matthew 21:18-22

★ 2 Chronicles 20:1-24

★ Matthew 6:5-13

* Prayer is the live-wire of every believer. It is the believer's primary source of spiritual strength

★ Genesis 2:17 →"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

* Sin caused the critical part of man that relates to God to die

→ Your communion with God is affected every time sin is present in your life

* If you do not have God's Spirit, you cannot communicate with Him

* Jesus came to restore the lost relationship between man and God through the shedding of his blood

★ 1 Peter 1:23 →"For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God."

★ Isaiah 59:1-3 →"See, the LORD’s hand is not too short to save, nor are his ears too dull to hear. Instead, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have concealed his face from you so that he won’t listen. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your tongue mutters wickedness."

* Sin hinders God from hearing your prayers

* Communication is very critical to our spiritual survival, welfare and warfare

→ You cannot afford to be cut off from your Central Command Centre as you engage in the battles and issues that life throws at you

* It is the nature of Jesus inside of you that energises you to pray in line with God's will

* In most cases, we do not listen to God's spirit

→ If you are sensitive in the Spirit, you will always sense His promptings to pray

* Laziness prevents believers from praying

* Through prayer, you are able to remove what is dirty in your life so that you are able to receive the nature of God

* Prayer enables us to have fellowship with God

* Whenever you encounter challenges on your way, always remember the promises of God

☆ Prayer entails:

(a) Asking (making petitions)

(b) Seeking (engaging God's word to find his will concerning an issue)

(c) Knocking (praying God's Word back to Him)

* You must remain consistent and persistent in prayer

* Jesus is our best model for prayer

* Jesus prayed:  

→ privately (Matthew 14:23)

→ publicly (Matthew 14:18-19)

→ all night (Matthew 14:23)

★ What is prayer?

"an address (as a petition) to God in Word or thought."

* NOTE: prayer does not only involve speaking words, but also thoughts.

→ That is why it is important to ensure your thoughts always glorify God;

→ Your thoughts are clear and echo powerfully in Heaven as your words!

 

★ Forms of Prayer:

1. Adoration (Psalm 144-150)

2. Confession (Psalm 51)

3. Thanksgiving (Psalm 75)

4. Conversation (Genesis 18:16-33)

* Christian prayer has been essentially been essentially petition in nature

* Your worries persist because you have not understood and unlocked the provisions of God through prayer

★ Benefits of Prayer

1. You recieve strenght

2. It builds your trust in God

→ It deepens your faith

3. You receive salvation

4. You obey God

5. You seek God's face

6. You recover all

7. You receive direction

8. Your character is transformed

9. You are able to overcome temptation

10. You recieive nourishment and encouragement

11. It prepares you for heaven

12. You receive ability to deal with situations

13. Deep secrets are revealed

14. Bondages, yokes, curses are broken

15. It transforms the weak into the strong

16. It restores the sick

17. It purges away your faults and guilt

18. It governs the rich

19. Upraises the fallen

20. It gives you access to God's presence

☆ Question:

→ Why are your prayers not heard by God?

* You must always ensure that you are connected to God so that your prayers will be heard

★ Romans 10:13 →''Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

* If the communication line between you and God is broken, you need to take deliberate steps to restore it today!

★ MISSION CHARGE

"I profess and claim to be by the grace of God a sound Christian and while there is breath in my body, I will speak forth and defend the law of it. I am ready to defend my convictions even unto death."

→ John Wycliffe

★ QUOTE

"Don't tiptoe into God's presence, trying to find the secret of attracting his attention. Just call home and say 'Hello father' and know that He loves you and loves to hear your voice. Pray."

→ Bill Hybels

Cleanliness (Elder Simon Bunshak) 06-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja

6th December, 2015

☆ SERMON

* Speaker: Elder Simon Bunshak

* Topic: Cleanliness (How to Maintain the Balance between Physical and Spiritual Cleanliness)

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Wholistic Growth

* Service Leader: Joyce Ahmadu

* Text: Mark 7:1-23

* 'Cleanliness' is defined as the careful avoidance of dirt

* Dirt is a parallel symbolism for sin

★ Psalm 51:7 →"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

* When you want to maintain spiritual cleanliness, you have to ensure that your 'inside' is clean

* The cleanliness on the inside is what brings cleanliness on the outside

* Many people place a lot of emphasis on outward cleanliness while forgetting (or neglecting) inner cleanliness

☆ How does inner cleaniness affect outward cleanliness?

→ when you are clean on the inside, every physical activity you do reflects the glory of God

→ what is on the inside determines what is produced on the outside

☆ How does God view cleanliness?

★ 1 Peter 1:15 →"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation."

→ the virtue of cleanliness originates from God himself and He expects you to be clean/holy in every area of your life

☆ Four (4) Aspects of Cleanliness that God wants You to Imbibe:

1. Spiritual Cleanliness

→ This has to do with the prospect of having eternal life and maintaining a vibrant relationship with God

→ This is the most important aspect of cleanliness; but it is also the most neglected

→ To be spiritually clean means that you never cross the line between true worship and false worship

☆ 1 Corinthians 7:14 →"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."

☆ James 1:27 →"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

→ You must ensure that what you allow into your life (through sight, sound and thought) is glorifying to God

☆ Jeremiah 32: 35 →"And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin."

→You must avoid involving yourself in any form of untrue worship to God

★ Mathew 23:25 →"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess."

→ NOTE: The less time you take in cleaning your inside, the less your glory on the outside will be evident

2. Moral Cleanliness

→ This involves keeping your mind & your heart clean before God

★ Ephesians 4:17-19

→ (the world is alienated from God, because of the prevalence of immorality)

→ when you constantly reflect on bad/unclean things, it eventually becomes your reality

→ Most nagative physical acts begin with bad or unclean thoughts

→ Sin is generally defined as the violation of God's moral standards

→ Anytime you constantly think about a particular sin & meditate upon it, it will surely manifest as a reality in your life

→ What you see, read or hear affects your mind directly or indirectly

→ Christians must always be on guard against any form of moral uncleanliness

☆ On the issue of Dressing:

→ when your 'inside' is clean, you will not need anybody to tell you to dress decently

→ Indecent dressing is a sign of inner uncleanliness. It also has the capacity to project unclean thoughts in others and causing them to lust

☆ NOTE:

→ People are observing you!

→ You are a model to someone. You might encourage somebody to either go to heaven or hell

3. Mental Cleanliness

→ The secret recesses of your mind must not be a repository of negative thoughts

★ Mathew 5:28 →"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

→ Addiction to pornographic films and pictures or suggestive lyrics of songs polutes your mind

→ The type of music you play in your car, house or place of business reflects who you really are (either as a godly or carnally minded person)

→ People take their car to the car wash because they want people to feel comfortable when they enter into it.

* Question: Will people be comfortable when they come in contact with the contents of your heart & mind?

4. Physical Cleanlines

→NOTE: Spiritual and physical cleanliness go hand in hand

★ 2 Corinthians 7:1 →"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

* Physical cleanliness dictates keeping your surrounding clean and avoiding anything that defiles your body such as tobacco, alchohol, drugs etc.

* You must always surmon the courage to help others around you who are dirty by telling them the truth in love

* Cleanliness is next to godliness

* The hallmark of true Christianity is physical cleanliness and decency

★ Causes of Spiritual Uncleanliness

1. Evil thoughts

→ when a unclean mind conjures up evil thoughts, the evil mind has no choice but to it out Carry

2. Pride

3. Foolishness

4. Sexual Immorality (in all its ramifications)

5. etc

☆ Meditating upon God's word and frequent meeting with other believers can help you live a spiritually clean life

* Cultivating a clean life is an indication that you trust in the unfailing promises of God

★ Jeremiah 17:9 →" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

→ Only God can dean up the heart of any man

★ 1 Samuel 16:7 →"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

* You must pay close attention to the state of both your physical and spiritual cleanliness at all times

* NOTE: Maintaining cleanliness is a choice that you have to consciously make today

→ Choose Jesus today as your Lord and Savior

☆ MISSION CHARGE

"I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution . . . if one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, One will meet with success unexpected in common hours."

→ Henry David Thoreau

☆ QUOTE

"I will! I am! I can! I will actualize my dream. I will press ahead. I will settle down and see it through. I will solve the problems. I will pay the price. I will never walk away from my dream until I see my dream walk away; Alert! Alive! and Acheived!"

→ Robert H. Schuller

Growing in Patience (Mr. Simon Bunshak) 13-09-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
13th September, 2015

☆ SERMON
* Speaker: Elder Simon Bunshak
* Topic: Growing in Patience
* Theme: Growing up in Christ
* Sub-Theme: Growing in Love
* Service Leader: Mrs. Adeline Fompun
* Text: 1 Corinthians 13:3-5 →"Even if I give away everything that I have and sacrifice myself, but have no love, I gain nothing. Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she conceited, and she is never rude; she never thinks just of herself or ever gets annoyed. She never is resentful."

* Patience is a virtue that is rare and difficult to possess

* Patience is something that will grow if God plants it in you

* Patience is listed first in the qualities that love can produce (that is the fruits of the Spirit)

☆ Importance of Patience:
* Patience serves as an outward proof of love
→ without love, it is virtually impossible to be patient

* Patience springs out from the abundance of the deposit of the love that is in your heart

* If you love anyone, you will be patient with that person

* When you love God, you will be patient and confident in his will and timing

★ Galatians 5:22-23

* The Bible did not tell us anywhere that patience will be easy

* Quote: "Teach us to be patient, for to wait is more difficult than to work."
→ Peter Marshal

* To carry the cross of Christ is not easy, even for matured believers

* Patience is important
→ It is an outward sign that we are living in love

* Patience is the suffering of afflictions with a kind of calm disposition or temper which bears without discontent or discouragement

* Patience is not really easy

* Every day, your patience will be tried & tested

* When you love God and those around you, you will find reasons to bear their burdens and show love

* Patience is an active endurance of opposition; not a passive resignation in the face of challenges

* If you have the Spirit of Christ in you, you will find it easy to imbibe a patient disposition

* Who initiates patience?
→ It is the virtue of God
→ God initiates it himseIf because love is his attribute

★ Exodus 34: 6-7
→ NOTE: God's love lasts a thousand generations; but His wrath is limited in scope!

★ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 →"And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ."

→ The love of God in you will direct you to the patience of Christ

* If you love God, the the virtue of patience will flow out of your heart naturally

* Patience is aimed at transforming you from the life of sinfulness to a life of righteousness

* When you love God, you are kept away from sin

* Usually, sin is as a result of impatience

* Patience that springs forth the love of God enables you to love those around you, including your enemy!
★ Jonah 4:2 →"So he prayed to the LORD, “LORD, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my home country? That’s why I fled previously to Tarshish, because I knew you’re a compassionate God, slow to anger, overflowing with gracious love, and reluctant to send trouble."

* Love demands that you pray for your enemies and pray for those who hate you (See: Mathew 5:44)

* God's virtue of love is what makes Him to be patient with sinners even at the instance of the worst provocation!
★ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 →"May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of the Messiah."

* We must emulate God as the perfect example of patience and love

★ 2 Chronicles 7:14 →"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

* Jesus manifested love and patience by going to the cross

* patience demands that you remain humble, even when you have the opportunity to display your power

* Sometimes patience demands that you keep quiet in to face of extreem provocation

★ 1 Timothy 1:16 →"But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the worst sinner, the Messiah Jesus might demonstrate all of his patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life.''

* Jesus displayed patience by not counting our sins against us

* Regardless of the kind of life you might have lived in the past, note that God is patient with you and is ready to accept you

* Jesus was patient with his disciples (even when they displayed spiritual immaturity, lack of faith, etc.)

* Some people take pride in their ability to be impatient

* Christians must practice patience here on earth by following the example of Christ
→ There will be no opportunity in heaven to display the fruits of the spirit!

* Your level of patience shows your level of spiritual maturity

* Sometimes the manner of impatient driving on Abuja roads makes one wonder if there are any Christians in the city!

* People filled with the love and wisdom of God overlook offences and they sacrifice their comfort and rights for the benefit of others

* Colossians 3:12-14

★ Consequences of impatience:
☆ 1 Samuel 13:8-14

1. It causes you to loose the favor of God
→ when you are not patient for God's timing, you will loose your blessings
→ Saul lost his Kingdom

2. You run the risk of being disqualified, discontent and disgruntled

3. It makes us not to thank God (ingratitude)

4. It causes lawlessness

5. It makes you pessimistic about life (you see a haIf-empty cup instead of a half-filled cup)

★ How to develop the right kind of Patience:
1. You have to stay focused on your ultimate goal (that is, conforming to the image of Christ)
→ You should focus your mind on the promise of Christ's coming
(James 5:7-8)

2. You have to think before you act
→ fools rush in where angels fear to tread
☆ Proverbs 15:1-2 →"A gentle response diverts anger, but a harsh statement incites fury. The wise speak, presenting knowledge appropriately, but fools spout foolishnes."

3. You have to look for Ways to give your time and resources to others
→ NOTE: Impatience is rooted in selfishness
☆ EccIesiastes 7:8 →"The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one.''

4. You have to work out your conflicts with others
→ Do not allow conflicts and disagreements to linger or fester for a long period of time
→ Romans 12:18 →"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in peace with all people."

5. You need to walk closely with Christ and learn from His example

* when you develop the patience of Christ, nothing can make you impatient

* One clearly noticeable quality of a believer is patience!

★ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 →"May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of the Messiah."

★Conclusion
* Patience will not guarantee that your challenges will go away. It only makes the act of waiting more bearable

* The blessing's of patience are not necessarily outward, but are spiritual and emotional

☆ Questions:
→ What is your position today?
→ do you still live a life of impatience?

* NOTE: Christ can help you overcome the tendency to be impatient


☆ MISSION CHARGE
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do."
→ Martin Luther King Jr.

☆ QUOTE
"Nothing builds intimacy between people like words of love and appreciation . . . Love expressed draws people together."
→ Bob Gass

Life of Victory (Elder Simon Bunshak) 16-11-2014

SUNDAY SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja, Nigeria
16th November, 2014

SERMON:
* Speaker: Elder Simon Bunshak
* Topic: Life of Victory
* Text: Romans 6:1-14
* Theme: Knowing the Will of God
* Sub-theme: Blessings of Doing God's will
* Service Leader: Mrs. C. Mangut

* When you are walking with God, the Seed of God is deposited in you. That seed produces the life (fruits of the Holy Spirit) that sets you apart from people who do not walk with God

☆ Effects of Sin in the life of a man:
1 . Sin dishonours the name of God in Your life

2. Sin can rob you of the joy and the power of God in your life
- The joy of the Holy Spirit is the source of your victory

3. Sin destroys your Christian testimony
- Satan's aim is to ensure that you never fulfil God's purpose in your life by being constantly under the bondage of sin

☆ How to overcome sin and live in victory:
- Note: Sin is the primary cause of failure in the life of a man

* Victory is an act of God
- You cannot attain victory on your own or by your own personal effort(s)

* Victory can only be attained by consistently living in obedience to God's Word
★ Deuteronomy 28:1-14

* Jesus has already won the victory for us; that is what we are standing upon

★ 1st John 1:8 → "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

* The victorious life entails:
- Overcoming sin (including the so-called "little sins" such as anger, fault-finding, irritability, complaining, lack of love, wrong thoughts, worry, anxiety,)

* The "small" victories you get by overcoming in "small" areas of your life translates to bigger victories eventually

* There is nothing like a "small sin". Before God, sin is sin and He hates it.

*Every sin is a major obstacle in your quest to attaining victory in Christ

* Many people have overcome the temptations and tendencies of falling into "sign-board" sins (ie, the known "big sins") and neglect the more subtle ones

* The trick of Satan is to magnify the power of sin in your life to such an extent that you are constantly kept in fear and bondage and therefore, fail to be liberated.

* Overcoming the power of Sin can only be possible in Christ Jesus.

* As soon as your faith in Christ dies, genuine victory will always elude you

* When you are defeated in your mind, you cannot attain victory
→ Victory proceeds from a mind that is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God

* The life of Heaven begins with a life of holiness

* Holiness is the Key to attaining constant victory

* Here on earth, you will constantly struggle with sin, till you get to Heaven where sin and death lose their power

* Three (3) Blessings that accompany a victorious Christian life:
1. Unbroken fellowship with God
→ Genesis 3:8-10
* When sin comes into your life, it breaks your relationship with God

2. The power to do the work of God.
- Sin robs you of the confidence to serve God effectively
- Holiness enables you to receive massages from God and to also deliver them with power and confidence
★ Philippians 4:13 → "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

* You share in the privilege of reconciling people back to God (through evangelism)

3. It opens you up into a life of prospect to the possibilities of being used by God for honourable and noble purposes

* Ephesians 3:20-21

* Victory in Christ is a gift, just like salvation & eternal life

* You cannot get victory in Christ through your merits, achievements and human effort

* Grace is God's omnipotent power working through us, in us, and for us

* Living in constant victory is only possible when you depend upon God's grace to live a holy life

★ Romans 5:17b → "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ."

* How to live a life of victory in Christ:
1. Dedicate your life to Christ totally & allow Him to sustain you
★ 2nd Timothy 1:12 → "That is why I suffer as I do. However, I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I’m convinced that he is able to protect what he has entrusted to me until the day that he comes."

2. Drop your burdens and challenges at the feet of the Lord
★ 1st Peter 5:7 →"Throw all your worry on him, because he cares for you."

3. You must take Christ as your Victory

4. When you fail, don't accept defeat & remain subdued.
- Anytime there is a challenge, run to the Saviour for support

*NOTE: Victory is not just trying, but trusting
→ 'Trying' is what you do on your own, by your own strength and wisdom (self-sufficiency)
→ 'Trust' entails looking up to God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself

_____________________________________________________________________
* HOLY COMMUNION SERVICE
EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Rev. Chrysanthus John Bala
* Text: Luke 22:39-46

* Anguish & pain caused Jesus to prevail in prayer at Gethsemane

* Jesus Submitted Himself to God's will in prayer.
- What He wanted at that point was immaterial because His desire was for God's will to be done in His life

* Today, many Christians tend to 'command' God to do what they wish, whenever they desire. This is not supposed to be so.

* Jesus encouraged His disciples to also pray along with Him in His hour of need & trial. (v. 46)

* NOTE: Prayer is the believer's sheild against falling into temptation

* Temptation will not overtake you if you consistently prevail in the place of prayer